The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory proposes to give four courses as part of its post-graduate summer training program in Molecular Genetics. These courses, to be held in 1992-1996 include Molecular Embryology of the Mouse, Advanced Molecular Cloning & Expression of Eukaryotic Genes, Yeast Genetics and Protein Purification & Characterization. These are short, intensive three week courses (except for Protein Purification & Characterization which is two weeks) which prepare the student to enter directly into research that makes use of advanced and/or specialized techniques and concepts in molecular genetics that can be applied to studies of growth and regulation of normal eukaryotic cells and their oncogenic counterparts. Each course has a different emphasis and serves a different need. The course on Molecular Embryology of the Mouse trains scientists who wish to extend studies of development and oncogenesis to the whole mammalian organism. The course covers not only basic mouse development and manipulation of embryonic cells but also ES cells, creating chimeras and reconstituting mutant strains as well as the creation and analysis of transgenic organisms. The Yeast Genetics Course seeks to provide scientific expertise in the powerful genetic analyses that are possible using yeast. These include not only analyses of yeast genes that control cell growth and division, but methods that can be applied to the analysis of mammalian genes in yeast. The course on Advanced Molecular Cloning & Expression of Eukaryotic Genes seeks to train students to analyze the function of these genes by providing expertise in production of expression and other cDNA and genomic libraries, and in sequencing and mutagenesis of cloned genes and cDNAs using different vector systems. The course also teaches transfection techniques to introduce, express and analyze such genes and their products in mammalian cells. The course in Protein Purification & Characterization seeks to train students in the theory and practice of methods of protein purification and characterization. Recombinant DNA technology has provided the possibility of producing a wide variety of proteins for study. the knowledge to isolate and use these proteins is being sought by large numbers of scientists. The course also provides training in immunological methods of protein analysis as well as in peptide synthesis and analysis. The faculty are chosen on the basis of their contributions to and knowledge of the field covered in each course. The faculty invite lecturers who give up-to-the-minute reports on current research. The lecturers have all made significant contributions to their fields. The trainees range from graduate students to senior investigators. They are chosen by the course faculty from the large number of applicants. Because of the short duration of the courses, senior, as well as junior individuals can attend and receive a short, intense period of training in an environment remote from other demands on their time and attention. The courses provide an unusual opportunity for scientists to retrain in another specialty or to apply the work of a new field to their own research interests.